Religion briefs

Friday

Aug 15, 2008 at 12:46 PMAug 15, 2008 at 12:47 PM

Compiled from Catholic News Agency

Florida citizens unite to change controversial public restroom law

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — A coalition of citizens and businesses in Gainesville, Florida has formed in reaction to the Gainesville City Council's passage of a 'gender identity' ordinance that allows men who perceive themselves as women to use women's bathrooms in any school, business or public facility. The coalition, called "Citizens for Good Public Policy," aims to enact a Charter Amendment that would oppose the addition of such categories to the city's civil rights ordinance.

The group has gathered 8,800 signatures to place the proposal on the March 2009 ballot, though only 5,581 were required.

"The high number of petitions signed by the citizens of Gainesville serves as an indicator of the power held by citizens over elected officials who choose to push a far-left national agenda," stated Citizens for Good Public Policy president Cain Davis.

If passed by voters, the proposal would remove the "gender identity" category protection enacted by the city council.

The Ann Arbor, Michigan-based Thomas More Law Center has been acting as legal counsel for Citizens for Good Public Policy.

"The concept of 'gender identity' was fashioned by radical homosexual groups and advocates to protect the bizarre sexual behavior of a few people," President and Chief Counsel of the Thomas More Law Center Richard Thompson commented in a statement. "In practical effect, these types of ordinances end up being used to intimidate and prosecute Christians and anyone else who raises objections to this form of deviant behavior."

Dennis Baxley, executive director of the Christian Coalition of Florida, said the coalition's efforts have shown that "extremists with special rights agendas can be stopped, even in a liberal university town."

"Their successful petition drive demonstrates that government still belongs to the people who want liberty and justice for all, not special rights for special groups," he continued.

Citizens for Good Public Policy also plans to run a slate of candidates for city council in the upcoming election.

Bishops endorse Prop 8 to halt 'radical change' of same-sex marriage

SACRAMENTO — The Catholic Bishops of California have endorsed Proposition 8, a measure on the California ballot that would ban what they called the "radical change" of same-sex marriage. Writing in a statement, the bishops explained Catholic teaching on marriage and also defended marriage's natural functions in stabilizing society for the procreation and rearing of children.

"As citizens of California, we need to avail ourselves of the opportunity to overturn this ruling by the California Supreme Court," the bishops urged in their statement, referring to the court's May 15 decision mandating that same-sex marriage be enacted in the state.

The language of the ballot, which declares only marriage between a man and a woman to be valid in California, "simply affirms the historic, logical and reasonable definition of marriage—and does not remove any benefits from other contractual arrangements."

The bishops declared that marriage is intrinsic to "stable, flourishing and hospitable societies" and is the "ideal relationship between a man and a woman for the purposes of the procreation of the human race."

Criticizing the ruling of the California Supreme Court, the bishops argued the decision "discounts the biological and organic reality of marriage" and "diminishes the word 'marriage' to mean only a 'partnership'," making children no longer a "primary social rationale" of the institution.

Citing the Catholic Catechism's teaching that "God himself is the author of marriage," the bishops said that same-sex unions are not the same as opposite-sex unions. The marriage of man and woman embraces their "sexual complementarity" and is ideal for children, who are thus raised by both a mother and a father, they said.

"Marriage mirrors God's relationship with us — and that marriage completes, enriches and perpetuates humanity," the bishops also wrote. "When men and women consummate their marriage they offer themselves to God as co-creators of a new human being."

Further, they repeated that protecting the traditional understanding of marriage should not be seen as a disparagement of our brothers and sisters who disagree with us.

The bishops concluded by saying that they "strongly encourage" Catholics to provide financial support and volunteer efforts for the passage of Proposition 8 and to vote in the November election.

Catholic News Agency contacted Protect Marriage, a California organization backing the proposition, for comment on the bishops' endorsement but did not receive a response by press time.